Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

A rare Second World War Fleet Air Arm operations D.S.M. awarded to Acting Petty Officer G. Dodwell, who was decorated for protracted gallantry as a T.A.G. in Swordfish in the Eastern Mediterranean 1940-42, including his part in the destruction of the U-577 off Tobruk in January of the latter year

Distinguished Service Medal, G.VI.R. (FAA/FX. G. Dodwell, A./P.O.), nearly extremely fine £2500-3000

D.S.M. London Gazette 4 May 1943.

‘For bravery and skill in many air operations against the enemy.’

George Dodwell was decorated for protracted gallantry as a T.A.G. in Swordfish in the Eastern Mediterranean, between August 1940 and August 1942, in which period he flew operationally with both No. 815 and 819 Squadrons, F.A.A.

Embarked in the carrier Illustrious in the summer of 1940, both squadrons arrived in the Mediterranean that August and quickly went into action carrying out torpedo, bombing and mine laying operations over Benghazi, Rhodes and Tobruk. As it transpired, Dodwell was among the aircrew selected for 819‘s very first operation, a strike against an airfield on Rhodes on 4 September but, as recounted by unit’s war diary, his own part in the operation was quicky curtailed on Illustrious’s decks:

‘The Squadron was ranged on deck prior to taking off on our first offensive operation. This was to bomb the aerodrome at Calato on the island of Rhodes. The first aircraft took off in pitch darkness at 0345, and the sixth aircraft, piloted by Sub. Lieutenant Forde with Lieutenant Hunt as Observer, and N./A. Dodwell as T.A.G., had the misfortune to hit the ship’s island superstructure and turned upside down on top of the forward pom-pom. No one was hurt but the aircraft was completely wrecked and unfortunately blocked the flight deck to such an extent that the three remaining aircraft were unable to take off.’

A couple of weeks later, on the 17th, both squadrons carried out a successful strike against enemy shipping at Tobruk, sinking a destroyer and two merchantmen, but it was to 815 that fell the honour of savaging the Italian Fleet at Taranto in November.

On 10 January 1941, in a large assault by enemy aircraft - much of it captured on camera - the Illustrious was sometimes lost to view in the columns of water sent up by exploding bombs. Alas, some of them found their mark and many of her aircraft were damaged or destroyed, other than the five which were airborne at the time, which reached safety in Malta. And from this small nucleus 815, 819 and 821X Flight were amalgamated to form a new 815 Squadron at the F.A.A. base Grebe at Dekheila.

Ordered to Crete, 815 carried out shore-based anti-shipping and mine laying operations, so, too, on occasion, out of Greece, while in May 1941, having moved to Cyprus, its pilots and aircrew went into action against Vichy French targets in Syria - with further success.

Next re-equipped with 12 Albacores, but retaining two ASV-equipped Swordfish, the Squadron commenced operations in support of the Eighth Army in the Western Desert, attacking enemy aerodromes and armour, in addition to carrying anti-submarine sorties in the ASV-Swordfish. And it was on just such an operation in early 1942 that Dodwell shared in the destruction of the U-557 off Tobruk. Frank Walker, his Observer, briefly recounts the action in Ray Sturtivant’s The Swordfish Story:

‘On 15 January, with Sub. Lieutenant Dunkerley, my usual pilot, and L./A. Dodwell, I found a third [U-boat]. Again the depth charges hung up and we dropped a flare, circled and did a second drop on a suspicious swirl. Unbeknownst at the time, but now confirmed by a recent naval historical records, this was U-577 and she was sunk on this occasion.’

There were no survivors from the enemy U-boat, commanded by Kapitan Leutnant Herbert Schauenberg of 29 Flottille, based at La Spezia.

Dodwell, who ended his operational tour in August 1942, was awarded the D.S.M., a distinction which he only received after attending an investiture at Buckingham Palace in March 1944, so presumably he had remained employed in the Mediterranean theatre of war in the interim.